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Abstract
American farmers, nonfarm workers, and the general public have a significant stake in the foreign trade of U.S. agricultural products. Its value, measured by U.S. agricultural exports and imports, amounts to $10 billion a year. This two-way movement provides markets for the abundant U.S. production; necessitates adjustments to be more efficient and productive; furnishes jobs for people in financing, storing, shipping, and trading; permits higher living standards for consumers; and contributes to a stronger Free World. A periodic perspective of foreign trade is essential to appraise and to recommend useful modifications in U.S. agricultural trade policies and programs. This article attempts to provide this perspective. It discusses the long-term and short-term magnitude and related characteristics of U.S. agricultural exports and imports and analyzes the meaning of and shows recent trends in the U.S. agricultural trade balance.